1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a card product having a predetermined function, e.g., an IC card of non-contact type in which an electric circuit, including an IC chip, or the like, in the substrate and the circuit, is made by coating with a synthetic resin layer, and an apparatus for manufacturing it.
2. Description of Prior Art
In recent years, there has been practically used an IC card having a data writing function and a reading function. Such an IC card has a constitution in which an IC chip or an IC module is set in a synthetic resin substrate. In Japanese Patent Publication 8-71092 there is disclosed that, in a method for manufacturing a substrate for an IC card, a synthetic resin substrate having a concave part for imbedding an IC module is molded by using an injection compression molding technique. According to this manufacturing technique, there are required a process for manufacturing a substrate and a process for bonding an IC module to the substrate.
By the way, according to the above method, both the process for manufacturing a substrate and the process for bonding an IC module to the substrate require high level technique, so that its manufacture necessitates tremendous cost.
Furthermore, in recent years, there has been considered a non-contact type IC card made by imbedding an IC chip in a substrate and operating signals for input and output to and from the IC chip through an antenna. The IC card of such type is formed by previously manufacturing an electric circuit including an IC chip and an antenna as a circuit sheet, and then coating the circuit sheet with a synthetic resin layer. Such an IC card cannot be manufactured by the method as described above of bonding an IC module to a substrate provided in advance with a concave part.